Enrichments

Dr. Astrid Guenther-Weigl,

Biologist and Wildlife Veterinarian

Dr. Astrid Guenther-Weigl, a biologist and wildlife veterinarian, was born and raised in Germany and in the Netherlands. Ever since her childhood days of exploring the beaches of the North Sea and rescuing, raising and releasing orphaned wildlife, she knew that the sea and working with animals was her calling.

After training as a biologist at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany, where she specialized on primate behaviour and marine mollusks, Astrid worked in the Museum of Natural History of Brunswick, where she was responsible for the collection of marine mollusks and education. To get the medical expertise needed by biologists and wildlife managers working in the wild, Astrid started a second career as a veterinarian. After graduating from the Free University of Berlin, she specialized in wildlife medicine, birds and exotic pets and received her PhD from the Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) in Berlin for conducting a vaccination study in otters. Her multifaceted career involves eco-tour guiding in Africa, Southeast Asia and South America, working as a lecturer on board expedition cruises, writing articles for nature magazines, working as the managing veterinarian in the Cheetah Research Project (IZW) in Namibia and practicing in different private practices and veterinary clinics.

Astrid is a passionate biologist and wildlife veterinarian who is dedicated to conservation and who delights in sharing with others her knowledge and love for nature. She deeply believes that education is the key to conservation. As a member of the IUCN/SCC otter specialist group, Astrid is currently involved in different research projects and is practicing as a veterinarian in an animal shelter close to Berlin.